CharaFell - Begin Again
by Op7
Summary: What if, the beginning phase of every AU. What if Chara was ripped from Frisk during the fight with Sans? What if she didn't get to go to her world, but was placed into another? What if that happened to be Underfell? How would she fight, what could she do? Evil is made, not born. But then it's a choice, isn't it? Now, a question for you. Do you wanna have a bad time?
1. - New Game -

|New Game|

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	2. Chapter 1 - Rough Start

Her eyes opened, as everything felt like it was crushing in. Swiping at the air, her soul flashed. As she shook, her HP plummeted at a dramatic rate. She attempted to cry out and failed.

It shattered.

"Breath Chara...You'll be okay." Something whispered.

|Continue|

There was nothing for a moment before Continue began to glow. Very suddenly, the crushing weight returned, light flooding her senses. She swiped at the air again, before taking a deep breath.

Letting out sobs of pain, she began to breathe. Writhing on the ground, her fingers twitched involuntarily. Her Fingers dug into the soil, as she pulled herself off the flowers. Dropping into the dirt, she hit it with a thud.

Her mind began to return, a thought running through it. "Hello, Dirt...so we meet again." She managed a smile.

She began laughing but didn't know why. After a short time, her breathing normalized, and she pulled herself to a sitting position. Everything felt heavy, her head swinging involuntarily as a sick sensation filled her stomach.

Glancing around, her mind filled with confusion. Everything looked somehow familiar, yet incredibly different. She paused briefly, noticing the bright flowers all around her.

"Oh...you're so pretty." She remarked, picking one up.

Chara got a Flower. She remembered something and picked several. After claiming several, she made a necklace of golden flowers. Carefully tying it around her neck, she felt a warmth flood her.

Smiling, she brought herself back to the situation at hand. "Where?" She asked, carefully rising to her feet.

The child stumbled once, catching herself. A breeze ran across her face, coming from somewhere. Following the source, she noticed a doorway leading out. Curiously, she followed it.

Stepping out into another room, containing vast darkness she shuddered. That was until she noticed the light shining down on the center of the room. There in the center was a lone golden flower.

Walking over to it, she thought she heard noise from it. "Hello?" She asked in confusion.

The flower turned, and let out a roaring noise while wearing a scary face. "WHO DARES-" She stumbled back in surprise, the face altering. "W-who..."

"O-oh...I-I'm sorry." She got up and began to back away.

"C-Chara?" The Flower asked.

She paused, the name ringing through her mind, growing familiar. "How do you know my name?" She asked.

"That's...not...C-Chara!" The Flower got an excited look. "I-It's me!"

The child's heart beat rapidly, her face visibly scared. "S-Stay away!" She demanded, fleeing past it.

"W-Wait!" The Flower exclaimed in surprise. "You can't go that way She'll-"

Chara Ran Away.

Her feet beat against the ground furiously, as she raced forwards. She entered a room with twin staircases leading up to another door. Hurrying up them, she slipped on the last step and hit the ground.

"Ow." She remarked in a weak groan. Glancing back, she got up and hurried through the door.

Upon entering the door she came to a grinding halt. Someone stood at the door leading to the next room. That being considerably taller, with ears like a cow...or goat, she wasn't sure which.

The being visibly stopped moving, prompting the child to do the same. She glanced back to where she'd come from and turned in time to see the figure staring at her. She drew a sharp breath and noticed the confused, bewildered expression this other being had.

"H-Hello..." She greeted quietly. "I..I'm-"

"Chara?" The woman asked, her single good eye scanning the child over. "You..."

"I'm sorry...I-I don't..." She noticed the confusion turn to anger. "I'm sorry." She apologized in worry.

The woman's expression turned to fury, fire seeming to burn at her feet. "This isn't funny." She growled.

"What isn't...I-" Chara said, backing away. "I don't know what-"

The woman breathed heavily, stepping towards her with a hurt look in her eyes. "You think this is amusing?" The woman demanded, fire enveloping her hands. "You think you can get away with this trick!?"

The world flashed, growing darker. Before Chara was the outline of a heart, a hollow shell with nothing at its core. She glanced at the woman, unable to process what was happening.

Chara used Act - Plead.

"W-wait...please!" Chara pleaded in confusion.

There was a scream of rage, fire consuming the room. She let out a cry of pain, her flesh searing. Everything hurt, the agony consuming her for a moment. She doubled over in pain briefly, before the fire stopped.

"Y-you're not a...oh gods...C-chara...you're-" The woman began, an expression of fear and realization on her face.

Chara Ran Away.

The child bolted past her, her arm burned badly. "I'm Sorry!" She cried out, tearing through the open door.

She hurried through the next room, hearing cries from behind her. Everything hurt so badly. She didn't understand where she was.

She crossed one small bridge. She didn't understand who they were. She neared the second one. She didn't want to hurt.

The child's foot hit a spike, causing her to slip. The steel glistened, a terrified feeling taking her. The pain was sharp, and everywhere. The feeling of warmth running across her skin. These things only lasted a few moments, as the muffled cries of someone else died out.

Everything went dark.


	3. Chapter 2 - A Memory of Mychal

Chara opened her eyes to meet the dark eyes of a young man, who sat before her smoking. He wore a blue vest with a patch that read West Kingman Highschool. His hair long, and unruly, matching his lackadaisical look.

"You shouldn't smoke Mychal." She cautioned. "Mom says it's bad for people." She told him.

He glanced at her and scoffed. "Yeah, not exactly keen on taking advice from a dead girl." He chuckled. "Besides, it's like you said, even if I die, we just reset right?" He smirked. "Long as I stay Determined."

"But she'll be really upset." She noted. "And you might get sick like I did."

"You smoked?" The Teenager chuckled.

"I...I didn't listen, and ate the butter cups." She noted quietly. "I wanted to-"

"No offense kid, but your mom isn't my concern." He remarked, flicking the cigarette at her. "And no kidding you got sick, jeez..I'm surprised you didn't..." It passed through her. "Oh." It hit the ground. "Huh...sorry kid. Look, it doesn't really matter, though, I'm not staying here. I'm leaving, Bon Voyage and such."

"B-but-" The child began. "You can't leave...she...she won't want you to leave."

Mychal rose from his seat on a rock and stepped across the bridge. "Look, she seems pretty nice and all-" He remarked while toying with his knife. "But I've lived in cities less cramped than this joint, yeah?" He remarked. "Sides...she doesn't seem the cougar type, so I'm pretty sure I ain't gonna get laid."

"Laid?" She asked.

"Huh, yeah. Admittedly I think it's the eyes. Always liked that sort of soft, caring thing. Reminds me what it's like to care. "He shrugged. "Plus, they tend to be real demons in the-"

"What does Laid mean...is that a thing?" The child inquired.

"Whataya mean what's laid mean?" He scoffed. "Laid is short-hand for-" He had a sudden realization. "Err right...you're a kid...and Tori's your...Mom...huh...Uhh..heh..know what, nevermind." He commented in embarrassment. "Just, forget I said anything." He chuckled nervously.

"But-" She started, floating behind him. "Why did you want it?" She asked.

"Chara, kid, you're killing me. Just-" He made a waving gesture with his hand. "Forget about it. Your mom's great, and I'm an idiot. I'm sorry I said anything, right, just let it go."

She thought about what he might have meant and came to a conclusion. "Oh, you mean like the necklace thing." She noted. "Those are called Lays. Me and Asriel read a book about it!" She told him matter of factly. "We even made some from some flowers we found."

"The what-" He began, before snapping his fingers. "Right, yeah, those. Those flower necklace bits...yeah, you got me. Leave it to you to get the word right kiddo."

"I don't know why you called it a Laid," Chara scoffed, sounding notably arrogant.

"Yeah, I do that because I'm a big idiot who can't do words right." He chuckled, making her smile.

The duo proceeded back towards the house. They both took note of Toriel, presently watering flowers nearby. She glanced over, noticing the teenagers arrival.

"Good morning Mychal." She said warmly. "I hope you slept well...I know the bed is a little small, but I hope you were able to sleep comfortably."

"Morning ." He replied with a sort of fondness. "It's fine, I've slept on worst, so...it's cool." He smirked. "Sorry to bail out like that, just thinking on some things."

"It's perfectly alright." The woman assured him, as Chara dissipated from beside the teenager. "I hope you're feeling well-" She sounded nervous. "I know...the ruins can be a lot to take in."

Mychal thought for a moment, glancing to the side to where Chara had been. "About that...hey...I need to talk to you about something."

"What's wrong?" She inquired.

The young man let out a little sigh, a feeling of guilt in his chest. " ...how...er...what's uh...what's beyond the ruins?" He asked, noticing her shift. "Cuz, you got that door in the basement-"

"I asked you not to go down there," Toriel noted, glancing back towards the house.

Chara felt the metal click in Mychals hand, the teenager toying with the knife in his pocket. There was an uneasy silence between the duo. Mychals smile seemed to fade some as he began to say something.


	4. Chapter 3 - Try Again

There was light, and the child's eyes opened. She found herself on the bed of flowers once more. She had forgotten Toriel completely. How had she forgotten her?

Charas head felt strange, like moths were flying through it. She rose from her spot, pausing briefly. Her necklace was gone, though she quickly discerned why.

The familiar concept of Resetting was brought to the forefront of her mind. She knew what had happened, she'd Reset. Something that happened when she was hurt, or died.

"Did...I..." She trailed off, feeling cold. "Well...that was unfortunate." She felt cold and tried to think of something other than dying. Kneeling down she picked up a few flowers while watching the entrance to the room.

She could barely remember Toriel. The woman didn't look the same, her clothes were darker, her eye looked hurt...and she was so angry. The flowers linked together, coiling them together like a single flower. She briefly wondered why the woman was so upset.

Placing it in her hair, the child walked from the room. She wondered about her previous death, mostly curious how she wound up in this place. She could vaguely recall being home the last time, why didn't she wind up there?

Entering into the next room, she noticed the flower in the center again. "Greetings." She said, gaining its attention.

The flower turned and scanned her over, seemingly less excited than before. "Oh...you're back...Huh..." It smiled hopefully. "Chara...do you remember me?"

The girl moved into the room, searching her mind for an answer. She could recall golden flowers, but none capable of speech. She wondered briefly why she wasn't afraid of this concept.

"You were the flower before I reset." She noted, before adding. "I'm...I apologize, though...I don't...believe we've ever met."

"Okay...well...that's alright..." The Flower paused in thought. "Well, I'm uh...I'm Flowey." The flower told her. "Flowey the Flower."

The child raised a brow. "Alright." She knelt down. "It's nice to meet you Flowey." She told him. "I'm sorry about running away before...I..felt afraid, but I don't think I am anymore."

"About that-" Flowey began. "You can't just run off, you clearly got hurt last time."

"Oh...yeah." She replied, thinking on it. "I forget to watch where I was going-" She managed a smile. "But, I think I got the point." She snickered some.

"Was that a pun?" The flower grumbled. "W-whatever look, you need to be careful. The caretaker of the ruins is up ahead, and if she-"

"You mean Toriel?" Chara inquired.

"Wait so you remember Toriel, but you don't remember me?" Flowey asked in frustration. "Are you really even here right now?"

"What do you mean?" She inquired. "Where else would I be?"

The Flower nudged her leg, looking briefly terrified. "Oh, alright...wow...uh...can you at least remember how you got here?" He asked, an expecting look on his face.

She thought about that question and glanced back to the room she'd come from. This place had a degree of deja vu, but didn't feel too familiar. Chara thought back, she could vaguely recall the sound of crying, running, and Toriels muffled voice.

"I think Mom brought me here." She suggested, the Flower getting a notably defeated look. "It's strange...she was running from something." She noted curiously. "I just...can't...remember what it was." She noted.

The Flower gave her a dubious look. "Do you have the urge to eat people?"

"What?" She asked in surprise at the question. "No! Why would I want to eat people?"

"It was a joke, ya know about zom-" Flowey trailed off. "Look we're getting away from the point. You can't be here, in like, a lot of ways. But if she catches you, she'll hurt you again."

"She...that's not why I reset." She said. "And how do you even know about resetting?" Chara got a frustrated look.

"Oh, well I uh-" He began hesitantly.

"Also, you don't know anything about her!" Chara declared.

"Huh, look, I'm not trying to be-" The child got up. "W-where are you going?" He asked in alarm.

"I'm going to see ." She stated. "She doesn't look well, and...I don't feel...stable." She muttered, feeling strangely absent.

As she walked, the Flower suddenly burst out of the ground before her. She glanced back and scanned the earth leading to him. She wondered how he managed to burrow through the soil so quickly.

"Okay, just hold on a second." Flowey requested. "Look I uh, didn't mean to sound rude. But you clearly are a little out of it." The plant noted. "This world isn't nice Chara...you have to be really careful."

"Why do you care?" She asked.

"I just-" He thought for a moment. "I don't want anyone to get hurt."

Chara thought for a moment, before smiling. "I appreciate the concern." She said, kneeling down to pat the flower. "But...you're not stopping me." She told the flower.

The child walked past the flower, towards the door the next room. The flower fumed in evident frustration. Popping out of the ground before her once more, she gave him a look of minor annoyance.

"Chara seriously!" Flowey face palmed with a vine. "This world is Kill or be Killed, and you've already died!" He noted. "Doesn't that bother you?"

"At first I was afraid, but...It's okay." She replied with a smile. "Flowey, I can't...just stay here." She noted. "Besides, Asriel is probably waiting for me." She scoffed.

The flowers look softened and became a frown. "I...I don't know that he is Chara." She shot the flower a dirty look and began to walk again. "Just a second, look...I see I can't talk you out of this...so...why don't I come with you?"

"Huh?" She asked.

"Y-yeah..." Flowey smiled. "I can tag along, make sure...you don't get hurt."

The child gave him a curious look. "Alright. Yeah...It'll be neat right?"

"Neat?" Flowey got an off look. "Really?"

"Sure. We don't usually get out to talk to many people." Chara explained. "Mostly, it's just me and Asriel." She commented. "I'm sure he'd love to meet you."

"Uh, yeah." The flower glanced away. "Hey, look...I'll be up ahead. If anything starts going wrong...just yell, and uh, I'll be there. Alright?"

"Huh, what do you mean?" The Flower suddenly sank into the dirt. "Hey-" She said. "Flowey you can't just leave." She remarked before sighing. "Thanks, partner."


	5. Chapter 4 - Reunion

The child entered the next room, containing the staircase leading to the door. It was still wide open, waiting. They walked across the space, passing golden flowers growing along the walls. She noted that they seemed like they didn't belong there.

Stepping up the stairs, she noticed Flowey waiting at the top. "Chara...listen...I know you want to see Toriel, but you should be careful. I don't think you-"

"I will. Besides, I have a plan." She replied with a certainty, reaching the door. "Hey, Flowey..." She paused, thinking. "what's wrong with her?" she inquired. "She seemed...upset."

"It's...complicated." The Flower assured her. "But, just...be careful."

Letting out a breath she ran over what she would do next. The idea of going home filled her with Determination. Her steps heavy but intended, upon entering the room she could see the woman beginning to leave through the other door.

Without much thought, she sprinted across the room, the noise alerting the monster before her. She jumped forwards, hugging Toriel tightly. She held as tight as she could.

The woman shifted, and swung out. The force knocked her away, the child hitting the ground with a noise of pain. An ember had burned her cheek some, causing her to wince.

"Who Dares-" Toriel began, stopping at the sight of the child.

Chara picked herself up. "I'm sorry." She brushed her face and pressed into the burn. Her eyes teared up. "I...didn't mean to surprise you." She apologized quietly, returning her hands to her side.

The woman blinked, and shifted some. She glanced at the burn mark and said. "You...look..."

Chara stepped forward, her eyes watering some. "Why are you looking at me like that?" She asked. "It...it's just...I feel like..." She thought. "I feel like I haven't seen you in forever."

"Chara?" The Caretaker got an annoyed look. "Is this some kind of trick?"

The child stepped closer, while she stepped back. "Why would you say that?" She demanded, before running forward. "That's not funny!" She exclaimed.

Toriel tried to grab her and failed, the child hugging her once more. She drew a sharp breath, her breathing growing very heavy. She didn't immediately say anything, drinking in the situation before her.

The woman placed her hand on the child's back, seeming to grow more confused. "I...I...just...you can't-" she trailed off, before hugging her tightly. "This...isn't possible."

"I want to go home," Chara told her quietly, her eyes faintly glowing. "Please..."

The woman scanned the darkness leading to her garden. Her eyes watered some, as she held the child. The feeling of Charas heartbeat brought a great unease to her. The beat, so soft that it felt dead.


	6. Chapter 5 - Lessons

The dark of the ruins seemed a bit brighter, though it was likely just her eyes acclimating to the place. She walked alongside Toriel, who seemed absent, almost lost. Every now and then, she would notice the woman glance at her, a doubtful, almost worried expression each time.

They stopped by a level. "Chara...the ruins are full of traps." She explained hesitantly. "You...need to be careful. So, please adjust yourself to the sight of them."

The child glanced over the spikes before them, ridged, and covered in dust. "Okay." She already discerned the lethality of the traps and wasn't inherently keep on partaking in their designs again.

"There are two levers over there." The Caretaker gestured to them, the strange look on her face. "I...marked one of them. However, it is a trap." She explained. "You will need to pull the lever on the right, to lower the spikes."

"What happens if I pull the one on the left?" Chara inquired.

"Please do as I say." The goat-woman said sternly.

The girl winced, before walking over to the lever. She scanned the two over. One had several arrows pointing to it, however, she could see traces of dust beneath it. Said dust wasn't present under the right one, which appeared far cleaner.

Scanning above her, she could see something in the ceiling, barely visible in the darkness. It appeared to be just above the left switch. Grabbing the lever, she pulled down.

There was a clicking noise, the spikes on the bridge withdrawing. She heard a sigh, turning to see Toriel with a half smile. She also noticed a slight shaking in the woman's hand, but it seemed benign.

"Why is there so much dust on-" Chara began.

"Come along my child, you don't need to worry about that." Her mother said in a much softer voice than before, her hand extended for the first time that day.

Chara took it, and the two began walking again. The shaking seemed to subside, though Toriels grip was tighter than she'd like. The girl briefly noticed Flowey, watching from alongside some golden flowers on the wall. He gave a slight wave and vanished through a crack

She felt oddly relieved to know that he was there.

The next room they entered had a dummy in it. The inanimate object was visibly torn and put back together. It had seared patches of cloth and areas where claw marks had been sewn over.

Toriel stopped them there. They stood across from it, the woman scanning the dummy over, before glancing to Chara. There was a moment she frowned, before returning to a sterner look.

"Chara...do you remember what I told you and Asriel?" Toriel inquired.

"What do you mean?" The girl inquired. "Like, to make sure the lights are off or-" The womans gripped tightened, causing her to let out a noise of pain. "Mrs.T-Toriel...that, that hurts."

"I need you to remember for me, won't you?" The woman requested, a faintly malicious tone to her words.

Chara searched her mind, currently racing to recall what she'd been told. She could recall...something about fighting. But it wasn't very clear.

"You...you were talking about how...how monsters may want to fight me-" Toriels grip loosened once more. "And that I...uhm..."

Her caretaker let out a light sigh. "I apologize...I didn't mean to cause you any harm." She said.

"T-that's okay," Chara replied with a faint smile. "Are you alright?"

The woman closed her eyes for a moment. "The Dummy before you is here for training purposes. I need you to attack it." She explained.

"Why?" The child asked.

"The ruins are dangerous Chara," Toriel explained. "I know you..." She trailed. "Tell me...have you ever been here before?" She inquired curiously.

Her ward looked around, taking in every detail of the room. The more she thought about it, the place seemed to bear some degree of familiarity. She could faintly recall something.

"I think me and Rei came here once." She thought aloud. "But, you and Asgore got upset, so, we didn't come back."

"What all do you remember?" Toriel asked.

"...I remember flowers, and-" She turned to her caretaker. "Is this where we were running to?" She asked, gaining a shaken look from Toriel. "I...I remember being carried...you were carrying me right?" She asked, before wondering aloud. "I think you were crying...huh, why were you crying?" She scanned her caretaker over.

The child could see the disturbed look on Toriels face, the woman avoiding direct eye contact. There was a strange silence for a moment, only just for a moment. It was enough, however, for Charas curiosity to peak.

"I need you to focus now, as I cannot always be there to protect you." She explained, resting her hand against Charas cheek. "If a monster tries to hurt you, I need-" She paused briefly. "I need to know that you can protect yourself, my child."

"Why would they do that?" She asked.

"Chara," Toriel said softly. "Do this for me, won't you?"

The child could feel the seriousness of the request. "Okay." She replied, stepping towards the Dummy. "I-" She noticed a stick on the ground and picked it up. "Sure I guess."

The world flashed for a moment, everything seeming to fade to black and red. The Dummy was before her. She closed her eyes briefly and visualized her options before opening them.

|Fight| |Act| |Item| |Mercy|


	7. Chapter 6 - Dummy

ACTing, she Checked the Dummy. There were deep gashes, stitched over many times before. There was no unified fabric anymore, the whole thing was now held together with an assortment of patchworked fabric. It was an unfortunate sight.

"Focus Chara," Toriel said calmly. "Fight, or...Run Away." She suggested.

She gripped the stick and scanned it over. Giving a slight swing she got a feel for it. Her red eyes scanned the dummy over once again. The FIGHT prompt illuminated. She swung down and struck at the Dummy.

The stick was heavier on the swing than anticipated. She almost missed the swing, stumbling at the beginning. It thumped the side of the dummy, before scraping on the ground.

Straightening herself out, she chuckled. "I-I'm sorry, I...I kind of messed that up." She noted, laughing a little bit. "I bet I looked like a Dummy, huh?"

"That's alright, please try again." Toriel requested, sternly.

"O-oh. Alright." Chara frowned.

"My child-" The girl glanced back at her caretaker. "That last joke...left me in stitches," Toriel assured her.

Chara smirked, for whatever reason seeing Toriel smile made her want to. However, despite the hollow sensation still being present, she at least felt a bit more determined.

The youth scanned the Dummy over, examining the weak points on its person. The stitches and areas it was held together would likely suffice. With a thoughtful strike she hit it, but nothing seemed to happen. She hit it again, harder this time. When nothing happened, she let out a low growl her eyes darkening.

Something whispered to her "I told you it feels good right? To tear them apart?" With a slight twitch, her lip curled into a snarl. "One more time should do the trick, don't you think Chara?"

A single streak of black liquid ran from her eye, her expression changing to a vicious smile. Clenching the stick harder, she swung wide. Her power carried into the swing, her movement more fluid and controlled.

The stick hit a seam, tearing through the Dummy like paper. The stuffing tore out, breaking through the air. She jumped in surprise, as what remained collapsed to the floor.

It took her a moment to process, the stick hitting the floor with a quiet thump. Using her sleeve, she wiped the liquid from her eye, the feeling...whatever it was...began to seep away. Chara won. She gained no EXP and no GOLD.

The slight glow of her eyes faded, as she scanned over the torn Dummy. "Sorry, I certainly...I didn't mean to do that." She apologized, the world returning to its faded colors.

Her caretaker stepped past her, examining the Dummy. "That's quite alright." She picked up the stick, glancing back to notice Charas worried expression. "Don't be upset my child, it's only a Dummy." She assured her. "There are plenty in the world."

"I didn't mean to tear it apart like that." She stated, her mind flooding with screams and pleas of terror. "I just thought..." Chara held her hand against over her heart, a cold creeping across her spine, had Toriel seen it? "Please don't be mad, I'm sorry, I-I'll fix it I just-"

"Shh, shh shh...It's alright." Toriel assured her, in a soft voice. "You did well, it's okay." She laughed softly, giving her ward a reassuring smile. "It's alright. You're alright, silly child." She noted playfully. "That's what they're meant for."

"A-are you sure?" Chara asked, having expected to hear something different. "I-I thought you'd be angry."

"Of course not," Toriel assured her. "Come, my child, we still have a ways to go." The woman said, taking her hand again. "The ruins aren't the safest at night."

"Alright." She glanced back at the dummy once more, managing a little smile. The cold faded back to the familiar emptiness. She would have to tell Rei how well she'd done.

After departing from the room...

The duo passed over a bridge consisting of spikes. Toriel kept her very close as they walked, briefly explaining that only certain spikes went down. The others, well, there was a respectable amount of dust across them. Chara couldn't quite recall why, but the sight of the dust seemed threatening somehow.

Upon passing the bridge, they came to a very long room. "So...we have a new home now?" Chara finally asked.

"Oh...yes, well...in a sense yes," Toriel replied. "Though, perhaps I was a bit nostalgic in its creation. So, it won't be that different to you."

"Why did we leave the Castle, though?" Chara inquired. "Did something happen to it?" She asked, gaining no response. "Is everyone alright... ?" She asked, gaining no response, her eyes faintly glowing. "Hey-" She tugged at her sleeve. "Did Asriel like the locket?"

The woman almost tripped, nearly missing a step. "Y-yes...I think he did." She replied, correcting herself.

"Really?" Chara asked, looking mildly embarrassed. "I thought it might be silly but..." She trailed, noticing something. "Did?" She asked.

"What?" Toriel asked back.

"You said-" She began "Uh, nevermind." Her caretaker kept her gaze focused on the path before her. "Your...dress looks nice." She said.

"Thank you," Toriel responded.

Chara glanced over her outfit. "I think I should probably a new sweater." She commented. "This one smells funny." She snickered, without hearing Toriel laugh. "Get it...because it's on me." She explained. "Because...ya know...jokes?" She realized it wasn't very funny.

They stopped near the end of the room. Toriel looked like she'd suddenly remembered something, sort of worried, and uncertain. Glancing at Chara, she was visibly debating a thought, before frowning some.

"I need you to do something for me, my child." The woman began. "I have to head to the house and do some-" Her gaze seemed to darken. "Cleaning." She commented.

"Oh, I can help!" Chara suggested.

"No," Toriel replied sternly. "I...I will only be gone for a short time-" She let out a sigh. "Please forgive me, my child. I promise I will return shortly."

Chara felt their hands disconnect. "Alright. I guess...I'll just wait here?" She asked.

"Yes. In fact-" Toriel rummaged through a pocket Chara hadn't noticed on the side of her robes. "Here, this is a cell phone." She explained. "If you need anything, or if anyone gets near-" She placed it in Charas hand. "Call me, and I shall return. Understand?"

"Okay." The girl nodded. "So just...hang out here." She glanced at the pillar beside her. "What do you have to clean?"

"Oh-" Toriel smiled some. "I just have some Dusting to do." She snickered.

Chara didn't understand that joke but was able to grasp that it was one. "Alright." She scanned over the phone. "So, if anyone shows up I just need to call you?"

"Yes, my child," Toriel responded. "Now please, just...stay here for a little while. I will be back as soon as possible, I promise you." She assured her.

"Alright. I'll see you later then ." Chara commented, taking a seat by the pillar.

"I'll see you shortly, my child," Toriel responded with a warm smile.

The girl opened the phone and began tapping through it. Toriel was a few steps from the room before her phone went off, surprising her. She opened it and held it to her ear.

"So you showed up." Chara voice said.

Toriel glanced back at the girl, presently waving at her. "I suppose I did say, anyone, didn't I?" She mused, before closing the phone. "I will return shortly, don't worry."

Her ward simply nodded and rested against the long pillar. She was busy working on a pun, or two. She wondered how long Toriel would take to return. Why she left, and what she was "dusting" exactly?

As she sat, there was a sound, the Flower popping out of the ground a short distance from her. Flowey seemed to scan her over, as she did the same in return. There was a silence between them, both clearly waiting for the other to say something.

"So-" The Flower began.

She reached out and grabbed his petals, catching him by surprise. "Howdy Partner."

"C-chara-" He began in alarm, before she released him.

"Just playing with you Petals." She remarked with a smirk. "So, I'm waiting here now." She noted.

"Yeah, I noticed that," Flowey commented. "Well, she at least seemed happy to see you...strangely."

Chara nodded. "She seems distracted by something. But, yeah, she said she needed to do some dusting-" The flowers expression darkened. "what's with that look?"

"Oh, nothing." Flowey laughed nervously. "J-just uh, she cleans with a certain enthusiasm." He explained hesitantly. "Almost burned me once. Heh...heh..."

"Well, do you want to wait with me?" She asked.

"Sure." He responded warmly. "That could be...nice."


	8. Chapter 7 - Waiting

Waiting wasn't exactly the most exciting process. The duo sat beside a pillar that had long since been broken. Chara kicked a rock, which skipped across the floor for a moment.

"Oh." She thought aloud.

"Hmm?" The Flower jolted up. "I'm awake, I wasn't as-" He paused, remembering where he was. "Oh thank god."

"Hey Flowey-" She picked up a rock. "Check this out."

Leaning to the side, she threw the rock. It skipped across the floor, smacking into the wall. It bounced up slightly, before coming to a halt.

"Neat." He replied.

"No-no, hang on, I got this." She stated, picking up another.

"What are you trying to do?" He inquired.

"Just give it a moment, you'll see." The girl stood up and scanned the distance between her and the wall. "Just-" She visualized a triangle, using her fingers to help set where it would be. "Okay...I think I've got it."

The projection began to take into account all the different ways she could throw, while she pretended to throw to get a sense of things. They collapsed down, forming into a unified throw, a single possibility. With a sigh, the though faded.

Flowey raised a brow. "What are you doing?"

Chara took a breath, pulling her arm back, before snapping it forward. The rock hit the ground at an angle, bouncing it against the wall. The force knocked it back, the rock sailing through the air. She stepped forwards and snatched the rock from the air.

"Tada!" She exclaimed.

"H-how did you know it would do that?" Flowey asked. "That was so cool!"

"Well you know," She got a devious look. "I'm quite the Chara-cter."

"And the cool is ruined...good going." He said back. "But, it was pretty neat."

Chara shrugged. "Well, I'm known to do a Gneiss Job."

"Was...Was that a pun?" Flowey asked dubiously, it was hard to tell.

"Sorry, It's just...we've been off to a rocky start-" Chara noted casually. "So, I figured I'd brighten the mood."

The flower seemed annoyed. "Nice."

The momentary distraction ended, the duo growing quiet once more. The sound of dripping water came from somewhere deeper in the ruins, echoing softly into the hallway. The girl began to pace, impatiently.

Time ticked by, the flower resting quietly on the ground. Every now and then, Chara would glance at the doorway leading away from the hall. Taking out her phone, she scanned it over in thought.

Pressing the button, it began to ring. The ringing filled the empty hall, the duo watching the phone curious. After a while, it clicked. Nobody answered. What was taking her so long?

Flowey blinked a few times, noticing Chara mumbling something. He couldn't quite make it out. He attempted to listen in and was able to piece together that she was muttering about whether or not Toriel was alright.

"You shouldn't worry about Toriel." He said knowingly. "She's...pretty strong, she'll be fine."

"But what if-" Chara began.

"She'll be alright," Flowey assured her, almost amused.

Finally, she stopped pacing. The girl looked at the door leading out. Scanning over the shadows, she was in thought. The sound of water dripping was the only thing breaking the otherwise unworldly silence.

She breathed out, her breath like a small cloud in the air. "Are you cold?" She asked.

"Not really." He noted, before adding. "It's kind of warm actually."

The child fidgeted with her sleeves. "I'm...I feel cold." She noted uncomfortably, walking towards the door. "I-I don't want to stay here, I need to get home."

The flower got an alarmed expression and dove into the soil. "Whoa, hey-" He began hesitantly, appearing before her. "Y-you can't just waltz off, she said to wait until she got back!"

"But she didn't answer the phone-" She stepped past him, calling once again. "What if something bad happened?" The phone kept ringing.

"C-Chara-" The Flower groaned, appearing in the next room with her. "Just slow down would you, I doubt anything in the ruins could hurt your mom."

The girl felt off, a strange new feeling clinging heavily to her. It was like an unbearable weight on her back. "But she's been gone for-" the phone clicked, running into the dial tone again.

"Maybe 5-10 minutes." He suggested, though, he knew that was inaccurate. "Let's go back to the Pillar, it's safer there."

Chara noticed a glowing crystal, the light consuming her senses. Closing the phone. It was familiar to her, she'd briefly seen another towards the beginning of the ruins, or she thought she saw one.

"I...don't want to." She replied, walking over to it, her hands in her sleeves.

"Whaddaya mean?" Flowey asked in concern. "Why not?"

"Because, I'm just not going to." She noted, pausing before the Save Point. "Are you going to come with me, or are you going to run away?"

After touching the crystal, it saved her progress. Her name was etched into it. The word Chara, scratchy, and barely legible. Like an error in a game.

The thought of going home, and the terrible weight on her back...it filled her with Determination.


	9. Chapter 8 - Trap

She began wandering, uncertain of where she was going. Heading through a doorway, she found what appeared to be a pedestal, with a bowl of candy utop it. She noticed a ring of flowers around it, covered in dust.

"Don't eat those," Flowey warned, appearing beside her. "They're...another trap."

"Oh..." She stepped towards the small bowl regardless. "How?" She asked.

"They'll make you sick, just, don't touch them." He cautioned.

Chara scanned the bright candy pieces over. She knew she should listen to Flowey, but she was curious. There was a sound and for a moment the flower turned. She grabbed a single piece of candy and pocketed it.

As she began stepping away, the bowl tilted some, the pair glancing at it. It knocked over, smashing against the floor with a loud shattering noise. The pillar breaking into three chunks, with tiny pieces torn off scattered about.

"That's probably not good," Chara said.

"What did you do!?" Flowey asked in alarm.

"Me?" She asked. "I didn't do anything!" She declared. "What did you do?"

"Chara, RUN!." He demanded, vanishing through the floor.

She hurried to the entrance, which was making a strange noise. There was a snapping sound, as she tripped out of the room, something metal having caught the end of her shoe. She was violently pulled up, her foot slipping out.

The metal cut across her foot, as she pulled out of it. She hit the ground, her shoe having been pulled off. She saw the metal plates collide, the shoe being crushed between two metal plates, both of which were serrated and covered in dust.

The flower appeared beside her. "C-chara, are you alright?" He asked in alarm.

She shook heavily, glancing at her shoe, which presently remained snapped between the door. Looking over her foot, she could see the cut running down it, it wasn't very deep, but it was bleeding. After a moment, the door made a noise, causing her to jump. It released its grip, the metal sheets withdrawing.

Flowey kept saying something, but it wasn't processing. Everything seemed silent, her eyes unblinking as she stumbled over, and grabbed her shoe. It was dusty, and almost completely torn in half.

Pressing her fingers through the hole, she felt strangely hollow still. Sound returned slowly, as she glanced over to Flowey. "Heh...that was side-splitting, huh?" She joked. "The door really likes Sole food."

"You almost died!" He exclaimed in disbelief. "How can you joke about that?"

She glanced over the shoe, realizing that her hand was shaking violently. "At least I'd have two shoes again." Her voice strangely calm, a disturbed laugh escaping her lips.

Flowey was about to say something, before noticing that she was crying. "Chara...are you okay?"

"Sure." She replied, before noticing the tears falling. "Oh-" She brushed her burning eyes. "I didn't even notice."

"Okay...no more veering off the path, alright?" He said. "Let's...get you home."

"O-okay...I'm fine Flowey." She noted, her voice shaking as badly as she was. She straightened herself out and took a deep breath. "I'm just feeling a little cold."

"I don't think you're actually-" He stopped himself. "Here, just...let me see your arm."

She did as he asked, the flower uprooting himself. He coiled around her arm, wrapping around it. He came to rest on her shoulder, finally noticing the coiled flowers in her hair.

"Heh, you're like a parrot now." She suggested, wiping her eyes.

He managed a smile. "Just...call me Parry."

She laughed a little. "Howdy-" She said, mimicking his voice. "I'm Parry, Parry the Parrot."

"Squawk." He replied plainly, making her smile.

Her shaking began to die down as the duo proceeding onward. This was already going poorly. Flowey was hesitant to imagine it going worst, but then, they still had a ways to go.

The following sections weren't that bad. They weren't really exciting, though. One puzzle they encountered involved pushing a rock that slid back into place after a short amount of time. The other had a floor designed to break if it was stepped on incorrectly.

At one point she slipped on her blood, almost falling into the pit below. The flower latched into a crack in the wall, preventing her untimely demise. She was pleased to have him nearby, imagining that things would have been quite difficult without him.

Passing through another rock puzzle room, the duo paused. "And don't you forget it!" Flowey yelled in anger.

"Chill out Flower Power," Chara suggested. "No need to rock the cradle." She chuckled.

"The nerve of that guy!" Flowey growled.

That puzzle room contained one very aggravated rock, resulting in one very aggravated Flower. The next area contained a table, with something on it. She plopped against the wall, her feet feeling sore, the blood having dried for the most part.

She wiggled her toes, she'd lost her last shoe in the room with the collapsing floor. The girl rubbed absently at the cut on her other foot, unintentionally causing it to lightly bleed once more. She sniffed the blood on her finger, licking it briefly, to discover a distinctly copper flavor.

"Ew." She spat absently.

"We're about halfway there Chara," Flowey assured her.

She let out a huff. "Yeah, I know." she rose from her spot.

A crystal manifested nearby, illuminating the area. It had been some time since she'd seen a Save Point, the warmth of it welcoming her forward. She stepped over to it and saved her progress.


	10. Chapter 9 - Napstablook - Take 1

Leaving the room, they entered into a tinier one. There was a small divider between it, and what appeared to be the way out. However, before the duo was something resting on the ground.

"Is...that a ghost?" She asked.

"M-maybe we should wait for it to leave," Flowey suggested.

Chara waited for a time. The Ghost was making grumbly noises, sounding very irritated. For a while it was saying Z very loudly, clearly indicating they should go away.

"I..don't think it wants to move," Chara noted. "What should we do?"

"Well, we could go back to the room with the table and wait for Torie-" Flowey began.

She shrugged. "We could move it with force."

"That's a terrible idea," Flowey stated quickly.

Chara scanned the Ghost over once more, hearing it growl in irritation. Carefully she stepped closer and gave it a slight nudge. It grew notably silent.

Stepping back, she immediately regretted her decision. "LEAVE ME ALONE!" The Ghost screamed in fury.

The world flashed red, the name Napstblook coming to her mind. It hovered menacingly, its form torn and ragged looking. A hateful expression on what would technically count for a face.

"C-chara-" Flowey began hesitantly.

"Hi." She greeted nervously.

The Ghost growled angrily. "I'M NOT IN THE MOOD!" It yelled in rage.

Music notes manifested around the ghost, burning with a strange energy. The world flashed dark, and red, her soul projecting slightly before her chest. The youth scanned over their foe.

She opted to ACT and checked on the Ghost.

"Napstablook. 10 ATK 10 DEF... This monster doesn't seem to have a sense of humor." Flowey said knowingly.

"Why won't anyone just leave me alone!?" The Ghost demanded in rage.

The notes burned in mass, firing at them. Chara took a step back, avoiding several as they tore towards her. One flew too in a zig zag formation, managing to strike her in the arm.

The attack burned through her shirt, singing the flesh. "Ow." She said in surprise, stepping back. Several more fired at her, seeming to come from all directions.

Before they could impact several white pellets fired, striking them pre-emptively. "Chara, we need to run." Flowey declared worriedly.

Chara scanned over their enemy and tried to Flee. Darting through several more music notes, she almost passed by. A light shined beneath her feet, a ray of light erupting up, catching her by surprise.

It burned her foot, causing her to slam against the ground with a whimper of pain. "You think you can just toy with me, and Run Away?" Napstablook got an evil grin. "Not likely."

Chara held her stick tightly, rising up she ran towards the ghost. The fight command prompted, while she slashed at the ghost. It passed through without doing much of anything, at first. The stick caught the edge of the ghosts red headphones, causing them to fling into the air.

"W-wait-" Napstablook seemed terrified. "those were a-" They smashed against the ground.

The child bolted the moment they broke, trying to flee from the room. The light erupted in front of her, blocking her path. She turned in time duck, and avoid several music notes.

They began to flow along the floor, and wall, the Ghost beginning to cry with a furious expression. "Chara-" Flowey began in alarm.

Several notes flew at her, as she tried to dodge them. One hit her neck, burning her. The child let out a sound of pain, falling to the ground, her eyes glowing softly as a warmth flowed into her veins.

Flowey created several petals, trying to fend off the music notes attacking her. She rose and tried to avoid them, realizing they couldn't get out of the room. She needed to think of something, to do something.

Light shined above, and below her, the child's eyes widening in worry. She darted forward, narrowly avoiding them. A mass of music notes shot towards her face, the child covering her eyes.

There was a sound, like tearing. Her eyes opened to see Flowey before her, his HP dropping to 0. The flower looked pained, as he tried to smile.

"S-sorry...I'm not very...str-" He broke apart into dust.

"F-flowey?" She asked in surprise, a flood of memories rushing into her mind. The sound of screams, and pain everywhere, as she fell, grasping at the dust on the ground. "Flowey!" She called out in alarm.

"Too bad, so sad." A voice said.

The floor erupted in light, consuming her. There was a vast unexplainable pain, the feeling of burning didn't end quickly. Her cries of pain muffled by the noise around her. Her soul cracked, and broke apart violently.


	11. Chapter 10 - A Memory of Tera

She scanned over the strange bug, floating around the room. It was sobbing quietly to itself, though she wasn't sure why. Chara glanced to the side, the other girl stepping closer.

"Hey-" She began. "where are you going?"

"That crying is annoying me." The other girl commented.

Chara frowned. "Whimsun has had a really hard time." She explained. "His sister...she,well...he's entitled to cry now and then."

"He's a boy, boys shouldn't cry." The other girl noted bluntly, stepping over to the monster.

The Bug noticed the other. Whimsun approached meekly, folding its hand together like it was praying. The girl in purple raised a brow, and scoffed, the world flashing dark between them.

Whimsun was a small bug, almost humanoid in a strange with. It's antennas drooped, its complexion and appearance pale and ghostly. The air smelled like...nightshade and bleach.

*sniff, sniff* Whismun scanned the human over, looking scared. "I'm sorry..."

"You're really pathetic, you know that?" The girl asked with a wicked grin. "I bet nobody would even miss you if you got squashed."

A ring of moths formed around her, moving softly without making contact. Whitsun was trying to look scary, but couldn't seem to muster the will to harm her. Chara looked on disapprovingly.

"Tera, please-" She began, the air was beginning to smell like lavender and mothballs.

"I-I just..." Whimsun muttered meekly.

"What's that, st-st-stammering?" Tera laughed. "Y-y-you wanna use your words?" She asked in a snarky tone. "God you're pathetic. Like those losers from my school."

"Tera, Stop," Chara demanded.

The other girl raised her hand, Whimsun letting out a cry of terror. He suddenly zipped away, fleeing from the battle. The sound of him crying filled the empty space for awhile before it was replaced by laughter.

"Did you see that?" Tera inquired, snickering to herself. "How pitiful."

The other child was far less enthused. "Whimsun has been through a lot Tera, that was...unnecessary. If you'd asked, he would have moved, you didn't have to be so rude."

"Yeah, but it worked didn't it?" The other girl winked playfully, continuing on. "Honestly I don't know what your problem is, weren't you the one who told me to beat up the Froggit?"

"That was different," Chara explained. "It was attacking you, Whimsun wasn't."

"Whatever." Tera scoffed, straightening her glasses. She noticed the nasty scowl Chara had and sighed. "If it means so much to you...I'll apologize okay, look-" She took her notebook out of her side pocket and unfolded it. "I'll make a note to myself-" She took out a pen and wrote down. "Apologize to Whimsun." Before closing it. "Happy now?"

"Yeah, sure," Chara said.

The other girl sighed. "You're like, the most exhausting imaginary friend, you know that right?"

"I'm not imaginary." The other declared in frustration.

"Cool story, but nobody else can see you except me. That usually means imaginary, or dream. I haven't decided yet." Tera stated before asking. "So, is Toriel actually going to make a pie with cinnamon?"

"Well, sure. Honestly, it's always-" She began.

"ugh, it's so nasty, though..why not something good, like pecan, or peach's?" Tera suggested.

Chara concluded she was not going to like her time with Tera and opted not to listen to her. Instead, she focused her attention on other things. Like whether or not Whimsun was alright.


	12. Chapter 11 - Resurrection

The continue glowed bright, Charas eyes opening to the familiar ruins. Rising from her seat she looked to see Flowey on her arm, looking confused. He was about to say something, before being pulled into a hug.

She sunk against the wall, holding onto the Flower tightly. She didn't say anything, the only sound being the sound of rain coming from somewhere else. After some time, he finally pulled away, and let out a huff.

There was a burning sensation, flowing into her veins. She couldn't identify the sensation, thought it was familiar. She clenched her fist.

"So...I take it things didn't go well." He suggested with a half smile.

Her expression turned violent very quickly. "Why the Hell would you do that!?" She demanded.

Flowey was surprised to hear her swear. "I-I just-"

"What?" She demanded. "Don't, you aren't allowed to die, understand?" She growled some. "I'll kill you if you do."

"Alright." He replied quietly. "I didn't realize you cared so much about a flower."

"I don't it's-" She groaned in frustration. "I just...I can't let you die. I don't...want you to." She said. "S-so...don't."

"A-alright, okay." He replied scanning her over. "Are you alright?"

Chara laughed, her head feeling like someone was pressing against it. "Oh, I'm fantastic!" She stated. "Real perceptive, aren't you Tera?" She snarled.

"W-whose Tera?" Flowey asked.

"Just shut up!" She demanded loudly, the burning sensation began to dim. "Dangit...petals..." She said, the sensation passing as the hollow feeling returned.

The duo remained against the wall for a time. Chara kept her eyes closed, trying to quell the noise in her head. The image burned into it, replaying a dozen times.

Flowey had a look of guilt on his face, as he cautiously patted her on the back. She shot him a curious look, as he got an idea. The flower smiled some.

"I'm guessing you want me to-" He shrugged. "Leaf you alone."

She blinked a few times, she knew what he was trying to do. For a moment she considered doing nothing, letting him contemplate his poor decision. However, there was this look in his eyes that reminded her of someone.

She got an odd smile. "Really?" She asked. "You must have been waiting to do that one." She thought for a moment. "So...I guess you know we both...died."

"Yeah." He replied.

Chara sneered. "I wonder if that counted as Weed-Wacking?"

"Oh har de har har," Flowey commented back playfully. "Think you're pretty clever, don't cha?"

She let out a sigh and rose from her seat. "You missed a pun." She told him. "Don't worry, though, I'm clover enough to make it for you."

The girl began walking. "Okay, nice moments over, you don't have to make puns anymore." He assured her.

"Don't worry I'll hang on to them for now," Chara assured him. "After all, a Peony saved is a Peony earned."

"Auggggggggggggggh." The flower groaned, making her laugh. "Hey...Chara, you know he's...still going to be there, right?"

Chara didn't respond, proceeding into the next room. The Ghost was resting on the floor, making Z noises. She scanned it over, a familiar warmth rushed through her veins, her eyes seeming to glow faintly.

She grabbed Flowey carefully. "I need you to wait out here." She explained, removing him from her arm.

"Chara, w-wait, we should think about-" Flowey began, as she set him down. "What are you doing?"

"I'm just gonna talk." She giggled. "Don't worry...I'll be nice."


	13. Chapter 12 - Napstablook - Take 2

She stopped just beside the Ghost, presently making irritating noises. She let out a sigh, recalling the attacks of the ghost. She projected the thoughts into visualizations, as she scanned the room around her.

Chara took note of how they moved, how they flowed. They weren't random, they were constant. A wave, a disc, and a cage. She took the piece of candy from her pocket, examining it carefully.

Stepping back, the projections vanished from her mind. Flicking her wrist it flew forward, hissing with red light. Much to the surprise of both Napstabook and Flowey, it hit the ghost. His HP flashed, taking a good bit of damage.

"I'M NOT-" The Ghost rose. "IN THE-"

Chara began laughing, the ghost stopping in confusion. "Oh my god, look at you!" She pointed, laughing some. "What's wrong Casper, you gonna cry?" She asked.

"Huh-" The Ghost seemed surprised.

Chara opted to ACT, and Insult.

"Did I stutter, or has that loud music made you Death." She snickered. "See, I asked if you were going to keep crying to yourself." She said nonchalantly. "Oh, poor Napstablook...listening to his emo music while he wallows in self-pity." She teased. "You really are a pathetic thing aren't you?" She inquired. "I mean, really, you're about as intimidating as a bed sheet with holes."

"Y-Y-YOU SHUT UP!" Napstablook demanded.

The music notes appeared all around the ghost, presently scowling in hatred. They fired at her, seeming to weave together. They neared her, the child unmoving. Pressing back she leapt into the air, landing in between another weave, the music notes turning and flowing into strike her.

She leaned back, avoiding several more. The notes burning against the wall, as she pulled the torn shoe from her pocket. Swiping the notes, they burned it, fading out after a second.

"Wow, that took a lot of sole." She joked putting out the fire on her shoe. "I get it, I mean, if I was as pitiful as you are, I would probably want to burn something too." She snickered.

"W-why won't you shut up!?" Napstablook demanded in frustration.

Chara opted to ignore him.

"So, what's the deal, don't have any family to disappoint so you came here?" She inquired, seeing the ghost twitch in frustration. "Did they spirit away?" She joked. "Can't blame em, if I was related to you...I'd probably k-k-kill myself, oh...sorry. I shouldn't make f-f-fun of the stutter."

Flowey was silent, his jaw hanging open as he watched her. This level of confusion was matched by the uncomfortable, and angry look of Napstablook. The ghost shifted seeming to grow flustered.

"How do you know even know my name-" Naptablook began. "YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT ME!"

Light burned along the ceiling and ground. The floor beneath her aglow. She darted to the left, and hopped back. The light erupted before her, the girl narrowly avoiding it. The light began to die down, as various spots started as well.

Letting out a sound of surprise she began darting through the pillars of burning light, sliding and twisting to avoid them. Slipping some, she hit the wall. Pushing forward, one of the light erupted at her side. The heat burned across her arm, searing through the cloth as she let out a sound of pain.

Her HP ticket slightly. "I know your name because everyone talks about you behind you back." She informed the ghost. "Oh no, Here comes Napstablook to get in your way like he always does." She commented, stepping towards him. "It makes sense, I mean, even your name is a pun." She noted.

"S-stop it." The ghost demanded.

"Get it. Naps...to...block. It's like your parents knew you were destined to be a disappointment." She said deliberately. "That's what you were literally, just doing. Geez, normally it would be funny to prove my point, but it's kind of sad." She snapped her fingers. "You're a joke, your name, your look, your fighting ability. Everything about you is a bad joke."

"That's NOT FUNNY!" Napstablook declared, its eyes seeming to water.

"Oh no." She said in a very unimpressed voice, casually sauntering around the open space. "Here comes Napstablook, with another sob story about how he has no friends...and how everyone he cares about left him." The ghost moved back. "I say this, because if you had any they would be here. And look-" She gestured to the empty space. "Nobody. Alone, like you always are. Like you will always be."

The Ghost looked upset, seeming to cry some. "S-shut up-"

"Ohh, watch out for Napstablook-" She recalled something, prodding the air in his general direction. "He hides away at home with his music, spending time pretending he's cool online because-" She scoffed. "nobody understands him."

His music notes began to manifest, the ghost actively crying. He looked like he was about to break apart. The familiar light of his attack burning below Chara.

"Do us both a favor-" She straightened the flower in her hair, her eyes alight. "Make like a bad Halloween decoration, and fall apart already." She turned and laughed. "It's not like anyone would miss you anyways."

"That's...that's not..." The ghost trailed off, his tears falling to the floor.

Nabstablook lost the will to fight, sinking into the ground. His anger subsided into empty sobs. He just couldn't anymore.

Chara won the fight and gained no EXP. The ghost fled, managing to drop some G. She noticed the golden coins and pocketed them.

Chara gained 15 G.

She walked over to Flowey, presently staring at her with a very distinct look. The duo was alone, their enemy having run away sobbing, the sound still audible for a short while. She glanced around, uncertain of why he was being so silent.

"That was...that was terrible," Flowey noted.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Chara replied with a shrug. "He wouldn't even make a good decoration." She joked. "The best ones are skeletons anyways." She said. "The ghosts always come across as cheap and feeble." She got a little smile. "Kind of like him, actually."

"No, Chara, what you just did-" Flowey noted, her movements stopping. "Wh...why? You were so...cruel. What the actual hell?" He looked frustrated and very obviously upset.

Her smile was gone, the child letting out a sigh. "Flowey I-" She began.

"No, no jokes," Flowey demanded. "Not even fifteen minutes ago you were all friendly, but that was just...that was nasty."

Chara nodded knowingly. "I know but-"

"No, I need to know why." He told her. "Why, How could you be so... so mean?"

Chara was quiet for a moment, searching herself. At first, she wasn't sure herself, but scanning him over, the cold and weight on her back returned. There was this sensation, the moment he broke apart into dust, a vague memory of something like pain.

"He killed you." She said in a very quiet voice. "And he didn't even care, he just laughed." She stated. "It...it didn't even matter to him."

"Yeah, but..." The flower hesitated.

"Flowey, I'm sorry." She apologized. "I just...didn't want to see you get hurt again." She explained.

He managed a little smile. "I'm sorry too, I guess...I know you meant well." He added reassuring himself. "Besides, we needed to get through anyways right." He suggested.

"Yeah," Chara replied matching his half smile, while picking him back up. "Hey Flowey, do you have parents?" She inquired as he coiled around her arm.

"Huh, uhm...yes," Flowey replied. "Why?"

"I was just looking for confirmation." She replied while beginning to walk towards the door.

"Of?" He asked, suddenly feeling dread.

"That you were a Son-" She winked. "Flower."

"Arghh." He groaned, making her laugh. "We were having a moment you know."

"Sorry, I know." She commented. "I just wanted to Stem-" He shot her a dirty look. "The bad mood."

"You seem to really enjoy those puns." The flower noted.

"Well I guess you could say-" She began.

"Chara no." He said quickly.

"Chara Yes." She replied with her reliable smirk. "I guess you could say it's just a part of my Chara-cter."

"Agh, no more puns, they're terrible!" He yelled in frustration.

"Sorry Flowey, guess I'll leaf you be." She snickered, the flower sighing in defeat.


	14. Chapter 13 - Some Progress

They passed without issue through another long hall, where Chara paused briefly. Scanning over one of the walls, she stepped closer to it. The Flower, in turn, giving her a curious look.

"What are you doing?" He asked.

"I think there's a Froggit behind the wall." She suggested, before letting out a huff. "Well, was, it's gone now."

"Ok, sure," Flowey said, not believing her.

"Guess it decided to Hop along." She snickered, causing him to give her a dirty look.

Continuing on, they went through a room containing six drop points, and exactly 1 switch. She dropped a rock over one of the points, causing the ground to give way in a violent fashion. Scanning the pit over, she could see a mixture of spikes and golden flowers awaiting whoever was unfortunate enough to fall.

"I was briefly thinking of stepping on that...I think I made the right decision." She commented casually. "Well, down you go-" She suggested.

"W-what, why me?" Flowey asked in trepidation.

"Well, I can't dig through the floor like you can." She reminded him.

"Well, how do you know?" The Flower demanded. "Have you ever tried?"

Chara thought for a moment. "Ya know, I used to really like Sunflower Seeds. It was satisfying to pluck them out-" His eyes got wide. "Slowly, and bite them in half."

"Alright, alright. Geez." Flowey replied. "No need to get mean."

"Thank you Flowey." She said in a sing-songy voice.

The flower was placed back into the earth, his roots shifting through the weak points in the stone. After a moment, the flower vanished through the cracks. This process, in theory, shouldn't have taken very long, however as they were exploring for the switch they met a Vegetoid. The Flower bolted out of said pit with an unholy swiftness.

"He didn't seem happy," Chara noted, gesturing to the angry monster in the pit.

"He almost ate me!" Flowey exclaimed.

"Huh, guess I'm not the only one who chewed on Sunflower seeds." She joked.

He scowled. "Not funny."

"Very funny actually, just not to you," Chara reassured him. "Well, one more pit and...hey I guess mom was right." She noted.

"About?" The Flower asked as the duo proceeded over to the last spot of breaking earth.

"That it's always in the last place you look," Chara told him, kicking a rock onto the top as the earth gave way. "Well, I wish you luck, I want you to know, the people of the underground appreciate your sacrifice."

He shot her a dirty look. "Oh, definitely, I appreciate the appreciation."

"It's what I do." She gave him a half salute, the Flower scanning the pit over. "Oh and don't worry, I'm sure you'll be Vine."

"You spent too much time with Toriel." The Flower complained briefly, before vanishing into the earth.

After a moment, she heard a clicking noise. The spikes blocking the doorway descended, the flower flowing back out of the soil. Little bits of dirt flinging from him as he shook.

"Are you cold?" She inquired.

"No, why?" He asked.

"Because you were shaking." She commented back.

"I was just shaking the dirt off." He replied as she picked him up.

"Well, it's no dirt of my shoulder." She said.

"Shame, all the shame." Flowey said, once more returning to his position on her shoulder.

"Well, that was an adventure." She mused.

"You didn't do anything." He replied.

She stepped towards the exit. "I was...er...a Manager, or yeah, a Director." She told him confidently. "I directed you, and made sure you could do your job appropriately."

"Really?" He asked with a half-smirk.

"Sure," Chara told him. "I mean, I guess I could have told you to go kick rocks, but uh...only one of us has legs."

"Those covers weren't that strong, I could have broken them," Flowey assured her.

They passed through the door. "Sure, yeah, definitely. But, with me-" She began.

"No puns!" The Flower demanded.

"You have a leg up on the competition," Chara replied with playful defiance.

"This is literally the worst possible thing." Flowey groaned. "Do you just think up puns the whole time, or what?"

"They just come to me," Chara told him. "But hey, no need to get upset, I could have let you get eaten by the Carot." She reminded him.

He crossed his leaves. "Second worst thing then."

They walked, keeping the vague smile across her face. The duo continued on, the path before them wasn't that much longer. Only a little ways more.


	15. Chapter 14 - A Hollow Bastion

The door opened, the last statue having been triggered. She stumbled sideways and stepped out of the room. The world seemed to shift violently, her feet slipping, her balance lost as she hit the ground.

The world was spinning, her stomach churning in pain. The Flower on her arm was in a very similar state, the duo resting against the surprisingly warm stones of the ruins for a time. Alteration of perception, and locking the direction one could look was a vile puzzle.

"Hello, earth..." She muttered into the stone. "I wish you would die." She groaned, pushing against it to rise to a sitting position.

"You okay?" Flowey asked.

"What does it mean when you feel your entire body burning, like a fire in your veins?" She inquired.

"Uhh...I think...Hate?" He asked.

She snapped her fingers. "Yeah, that's the one...I think I hate that room." She laughed a little. "Though, it is nice to feel something besides the cold."

"Huh?" The Flower asked. "I didn't think it was that bad." The flower tried to tease, stopping himself from being sick.

She got up, still feeling off. "I don't remember Mom having any puzzles like that." She commented. "How did she even make it?" She groaned. "Why did she make it?"

"I think it was already here." He suggested. "But, on the upside, nothing tried to kill us."

"Yeah, there's that." She responded, beginning to walk on. "So, how much longer." Her movements clumsy and rigid.

"It should be just around the corner," Flowey said, before adding. "Hey, what were you saying...about feeling something?" He asked curiously.

"Alright," Chara replied. "So, if the house is around the corner...what's that way?" She pointed ahead of them.

"Huh?" He asked, before saying. "Well, that goes to Home, but you didn't-."

"Home?" She asked, before understanding. "Like the old City?" She realized it should have been evident to her and shrugged. "I remember something...yeah-" She took a breath. "Me and Asriel came this way-" She walked through the door before her. "we were playing war-" She went around and came to the balcony overhanging the city. "And wound up here."

The youth stepped to the balcony edge, staring out at the old city below. It looked so much older than she remembered. In the back of her mind the memory played, she could recall the sound of music. It was there the last time she was, it had been so distant and far away. This time, however, it was notably silent, almost hauntingly so.

"It looks so small from up here, but the streets are like a maze," Flowey commented. "There are still a few monsters down there, hiding away. Unwilling to move on."

The purples and reds of the city held steady against the dark.  
The few lights illuminating it like stars in the abyss. She could recall longing to venture down and explore, hoping she could get the chance. Strangely, though, she didn't feel that anymore...in fact, looking at the city...she didn't really feel anything. Only the distinct and unending cold.

"It's beautiful." She commented. "Flowey...did you know Mom's a Queen?" She asked. "She used to rule all of this." She commented, putting on another fake smile. "Pretty neat right?"

"Yeah," Flowey replied. "Definitely."

Her mind turned to those memories, as she glanced at her side. Chara could imagine Asriel beside her, staring out into the city. She remembered how happy he was, and how scared she was for him, after hearing his hopes...his dreams.

Shifting, she grasped at the end of her sleeves. One was slightly folded, preventing it from being equal in length to the other one. She straightened it out and went back to watching the city. It was peaceful.

"Asriel is going to be the King one day." She said, randomly. "I remember us being here, staring out over the city." She couldn't feel that fear now, the girl uncertain why she couldn't feel it. "I remember how scared I was for him."

"Huh, why?" The flower asked.

Chara thought for a moment. "Asgore was always so busy, trying to keep things in order." She remembered. "Trying to keep everyone under control." She explained. "I remember thinking...if he becomes King, can he handle that?" She explained to the Flower. "Though, I suppose it was a selfish fear."

"Why would it be selfish?" The Flower asked.

The memory melted away, the remnant warmth fading to cold. Why couldn't she feel it again? She scanned over her hand, unclenching it.

"I was afraid that if he became King I would never see him again." She told the Flower. "That he would be consumed by it like Asgore was." She shifted. "That someone might come along...and..." She trailed off, concluding those thoughts were best left unspoken.

Flowey looked uncomfortable. "I'm sure...he'd find time if he could."

"Maybe...but if...Flowey, can I tell you a secret?" She asked, remembering the Video Camera.

"Sure." He replied curiously. "What's-"

"I had this idea." She noted, gesturing to the city, she could remember telling him to turn it off. "What if I could save...if the...er-" She stopped. "Nevermind...it's silly."

"No, wait, what was it?" Flowey asked, seemingly alarmed at whatever prospect he believed she was getting at.

Chara got a devious grin. "I remember thinking, I wonder what it would be like to keep a Flower as a pet."

Flowey gave her a doubtful look. "Chara I'm serious."

"No need to get upset. I'm just playing with you Petals." She told him.

"Chara." He said sternly.

"Iris my case." She beamed.

"Agh...that was a serious moment, and you ruined it." Flowey declared.

Chara laughed. "Ruined?"

"Yes, Ruin-" He stopped, and got a very flustered look. "NO!"

"Yes." She declared in return. "I'm so proud of you Flowey."

"Ahh, hate, all of my hatred." He growled in frustration, before letting out a sigh. "Whatever...look, if you don't want to talk, you don't have to." He said. "Just, know you can always talk to me."

She scanned the flower over. He seemed quite sincere in his affection, which led her to wonder why. For some reason, it felt like she'd known him for...a long time, but she didn't know why.

"Thanks, Flower-Child" She replied. "Well, don't worry about my puns, we're almost home now so you don't have to worry about them for awhile." She assured him. "Hey, I'll introduce you to Asriel once we get there, I bet he'd love to meet you." Flowey went to say something. "Is that a knife?" She asked, interrupting him.

Following her gaze, Flowey noticed a knife, tucked in the corner. "Oh, that is a knife." The Flower commented. "I didn't even notice it." He said as she hurried over to it. "Chara, be careful with that."

Chara picked up the Plastic Knife, tapping the end. "Oh, it's just..." She stopped herself and got a little grin. "Hey, Flowey, watch this."

He gave her a curious look as she rolled back her sleeve. His eyes went wide as he tried to say something. Very suddenly, she ran the knife across her arm, causing the Flower to let out a cry of fear. However, nothing happened. She held it up to the flower, revealing it to be plastic.

"I-I-I" The flower stammered.

She laughed, trying to cover her mouth. "You should see your face." She noted.

"Chara!" Flowey exclaimed in a mixture of dread and relief. "Don't Do That!" He demanded.

Her expression softened. "I was just playing with you, don't worry." She pocketed the Plastic Knife. "It's plastic, totally harmless." She assured him. "I don't do that anymore."

"Ugh, what's wrong with you?" He muttered, before noting the "anymore?" He asked.

Once again, she ignored him, while leaving the room. "So, Mom's probably gonna be upset at first." She noted. "But don't worry, I'm sure it'll be alright."

Flowey opted not to prod into things. "Yeah, probably...maybe." He muttered.

"It'll be okay Flowey, you'll see." She promised the flower.


	16. Chapter 15 - A story and rest

She followed the scent of charcoal and cinnamon, passing a staircase. Briefly glancing into the darkness below, she continued on. It wasn't her primary concern at this point.

The crackling of fire filled the air, her eyes turning to the uncovered fireplace. She concluded it was fire magic, namely due to Toriels predisposition towards it. The youth paused before it, feeling the warmth flowing into her otherwise cold self.

She scanned the table to her left over, noting the three chairs around it. They resembled the ones from the old home, with the exception that these appeared to be dusty, and unused. This was in dire contrast to the worn looking brown chair beside the fireplace, which looked incredibly used.

The armrests of the brown chair seemed a shade darker than the rest of it, the girl briefly running her hand across the dark area. Into this, the fluff brushed back, growing lighter. She dragged her hand in the opposite direction once more, returning it to a darker shade.

The chair gave off a familiar scent, the youth briefly sniffing the air. It was hard to smell between the smoky air and cinnamon, but she could detect a hint of liquor. Something she rarely acquainted with Toriel.

"Huh," Flowey said, reaching out and brushing the edge of the chair. "That's pretty neat."

She clicked from her thoughts, watching him lighten and darken the arm of the chair a few times. "A lot of chairs do that, it's kind of soothing," Chara suggested.

She continued on, noticing a small bookshelf. She could hear Toriel in the kitchen, seeming to be griping about something. She concluded she must have burnt something, and stepped over to the bookshelf.

Examining the books, she pulled one of them out. It was a dark book with a line of text on the front. "Underfell." She read. She could vaguely recall a story known as Undertale, that Toriel had read to both Asriel and her. This one however similar in title, didn't appear to be the same.

Opening the book she read over some of the first couple pages. It appeared to be the same story, just with a different name. She wondered what else was different about it, and brought the book with her.

There was a noise, her attention turning to the tired looking Toriel. She stepped out of the kitchen, tossing her mittens to the side in an aggravated manner. Chara promptly came to a halt.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

Toriels expression softened. "Yes, just...frustrated." She noted, walking past Chara. "I haven't been able to bake anything-" She growled some. "Successfully-" She plopped into her chair. "In awhile."

Chara managed a smile. "I'm sure you did fine." She suggested.

She sighed. "You'd be surprised," Toriel smirked, before letting out a sigh. "That's alright, I guess I can always try again later." She suggested. "You aren't...going anywhere."

The youth noted the strange way her caretaker had spoken, the hesitation was reminiscent of someone sleepwalking. Like it wasn't a reality, or that they were doubting it. She walked over and set Flowey on one of the kitchen chairs before setting the book down on Toriels lap.

"You're right," Chara replied with certainty, crawling into her lap beside the book. "Maybe can I help you next time." She suggested.

Toriel breathed a breath of relief, allowing Chara to sink against her. "Of course my child." She said, seeming eased before lifting the book. "Underfell...I see it didn't take you long to find something you shouldn't be reading." She noted.

"Why not?" Chara inquired.

"It's quite a grim story dear, though, I suppose it does have a happy ending." She admitted. "All the same, perhaps...I have something more appropriate."

Toriel shifted like she was going to rise from her seat. "I can handle it," Chara assured her, holding up the book. "Right Flowey?"

The Flower shifted. "Maybe?"

Toriel glanced over at the Flower, before carefully taking the book. "Very well, however, if you ever become concerned or afraid...just let me know, and we'll stop reading it."

"Okay." Her ward said, nuzzling against her.

The woman allowed her eyes to close for a moment, before opening them as she did the book. "Our story begins...with a child, a very special child." She began. "One who had seen the sky, and descended from on high." She turned the first page, containing an image of an angelic being. "And their name was-"

00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

"Chara?" The woman asked quietly. It hadn't taken too long before the child fell into a soft sleep, her heart rarely beating.

Toriel closed the book a short while afterward. This was often how it ended, with a story, and the scent of flowers. It took her a time to concluded what this was, but she was glad it had lasted as long as it had.

Glancing to the side, she found even the Flower at rest. She briefly contemplated destroying it but concluded that it was irrelevant. She may awake soon, no sense to spoil the rare serenity.

Toriel carefully rose, cradling her child in her arms. "Silly child, you always fell asleep before the best part." She said sadly, carrying her to her room.

The door was slightly open, so she pushed against it. Stepping inside she examined the quiet place, perhaps it was time to let go. She placed Chara into the bed and quietly tucked her in. She kept this room as close to memory as possible, but...

She decided to think about these things another time, taking a moment to kiss her wards forehead. "Goodnight Chara," Her eyes darkening, as she proceeded from the room.

The fire in the living room was beginning to die down, the woman resting in the chair once more. Leaning into it heavily, she felt exhausted. This wasn't the first time she'd had a dream like this, though it was perhaps the most vivid.

Toriel sighed, placing the Underfell book on her lap, and folding her hands over it. She secretly hoped that she wouldn't wake up this time. That she wouldn't spend another day in this place, alone. She thought on the buttercups, the things that began everything...wondering what it felt like, what it would feel like.

Her tears slipped absently, her chest rising and falling slower and slower. Her mind began to clear, the memories of the past burning away with one final thought. She wondered what would have happened...if she had gotten there sooner.

With that, she fell into a deep sleep of her own.


	17. Chapter 16 - A Dream?

Her eyes opened, as she rubbed against her blind one tiredly. It sometimes took her a moment to remember that it no longer worked. Scanning her surrounding she reminded herself where she was, letting out a deep sigh in the process.

"A stunning new development...everyone please remain seated." She said very unenthusiastically to herself, before noticing the book in her lap. "Wait..." She turned towards the table, noting the Flower was no longer there. "I...don't know what I was expecting." She muttered.

Toriel rose from her seat, holding the book in her hands. Her eyes stared through it, distant memories coiling her thoughts. Brushing it with her fingers, she reminded herself that it had been a dream, and not an unfamiliar one. No matter how she longed for it, it would never be her reality.

The woman shifted uncomfortably, stepping over and returning the book to its place on the shelf. Her expression was almost blank, her eyes glassy and lost while she continued towards her kitchen. Entering into the place she saw the charred remnants of her pie, and let out a yawn. With that she grabbed for a knife, managing to fumble in her attempt.

"Ow!" She exclaimed in surprise, managing to cut her finger on the edge, the blade falling to her counter. "Damnit." She complained, healing her wound before grabbing the knife with increased caution.

The faint smell of burnt cinnamon filled the air, as she cut into the pie. It wasn't the first time she tried to make something while sleepwalking, though she noted it at least appeared somewhat edible this time. She dreaded checking to see how much she wasted in the process.

Arranging it on a small plate, she glanced at the dishes presently filling her sink. Tossing the knife in, she pulled out a dirty fork. Fire flowed from her hand absently consuming it. She ran the water, which easily removed the grime from it, while she wondered if she should do the dishes today. Letting out a tired sigh she concluded she would deal with them later.

In the process of leaving, she stopped, opening her cupboard and grabbing a wine glass before her departure from the room. There were only a few more that were clean, which wasn't a fun revelation to have. She opted not to think about it for now.

Really, she didn't entirely care anymore. Toriel had concluded long ago that she would exist alone in these ruins, until she either vanished or was killed. Sometimes she woke up, imagining there would be something waiting for her. It was a foolish thing, she knew would die alone, and forgotten by everyone outside of a being she hardly knew. Even then, she doubted he would care.

The woman proceeded to her living room, setting the pie slice on her table alongside the glass. Turning, she noticed the bottle was no longer beside her chair. Nodding some, she headed towards her room.

Passing the staircase, she reached the door to the other room. Toriel paused, her body lurching to a halt despite her efforts to continue. Her body ached to proceed, yet her mind wouldn't allow it.

"There's nobody there." She told herself, as she reached for the handle. "There's nobody...nobody..." She felt a faint hope, turning the handle to look inside. "There."

The room was dark, and empty, bearing the familiar scent of colored pencils and paint. She glanced at the bed, half expecting to see one of her children at rest. Carefully stepping inside, her hands folded together, perhaps they were just hard to see.

Turning on the light, the neatly made bed was unmistakably empty. A frown broke across her face, the woman glancing at the painted images across the bedroom wall. The hand outlines and little drawings left by those who came before.

She wondered if they would come back if anyone made it past...Her hand began to shake. "I'm such a fool." She growled, her anger boiling over as she left the room, slamming the door shut behind her.

Proceeding into her own room, her movements became quicker. She began pushing around the random debris littering her room, which between the crumbled pieces of paper to the clothing strewn about was in a poor state. Her frustration rose, and after a moment she let out a cry of anger, before stopping entirely.

Her entire body felt like it was going to give way into her frustration fire burning in her palms. The flame flickered, a light reflecting towards her while she turned to follow it. A look of defeat took the visage of frustration as she noticed the bottle sitting on her dresser.

"Of course." She said in a defeated voice, before tiredly snatching the bottle. Proceeding away, she brushed her eyes and began to normalize her breathing.

This sensation would go away, she was alright. She just needed to drink to the point she would forget, and it would be alright. It was simple, really, she'd done it a dozen times.

Setting the jug down on the table it produced a thumping noise. She shuddered at the sound, twitching absently. The woman poured some of the wine into her glass, the contents were remarkably cheap smelling.

Without much thought, she reached for her plate. Toriel found herself grasping empty air. She blinked, and examined the location that her slice of pie had formerly occupied. The woman briefly wondered if she'd left it in the kitchen.

Her thoughts were broken by the sound of someone complaining. Toriel briefly froze at the sound, before taking a very deliberate drink of her wine. She was awake, which meant...she had unwanted guests. She walked to the door of her home, the sound of talking getting louder, as fire flowed into her hands.

"But that's what I'm saying!" A familiar voice said, the woman turning the corner. "I mean, do you even know how to bake?"

"Not really, but that's alright. I'm Determined." The child said, before noticing her. "Oh, hi -" Chara said warmly.

"Chara," Toriel said absently, everything seeming to shake around her. "You're..." She shook her head some, still seeing the girl sitting beside the flower, a piece of pie between them. "You're-" The fire flickered away, the woman cautiously digging her finger into her hand, the pain flowing through her as a reminder that she was awake.

"Uh, Chara-" Flowey said nervously. "I-uh, think-"

The girl had a look of realization, which was replaced with a worried one. "Oh, I'm sorry, I saw the pie, and I know you said it was-" The woman stepped towards them. "burned but I was sure it was fine, so, I saw you going to your room and you seemed really upset, and I just figured we'd try it, and then we started talking about baking but uh...um... ?" She asked quietly.

The woman knelt down and pulled the child into a hug. "It's okay." She promised. "I'm not mad."

Chara couldn't help but feel strangely confused, as her caretaker held her tightly. "A-are you alright?" She asked.

Toriel didn't have an answer to that question and didn't really want to. Her eyes closed, watering some, she wondered if this would all be gone when she opened them again. She could feel the child hug her back, the ease taking hold.

When she opened her eyes the child was still there, as was the flower. "Sorry, I don't know what came over me." Toriel lied. "It's alright I-" She noted how torn Chara looked, her clothes ragged and her lone shoe almost torn in two. "Come inside won't you?" She requested, rising. "We...we need to get you clothing that's not, in such a state, my child."

"Alright," Chara replied, picking up the flowerpot, and the plate. "Heh." She snickered, glancing at the flower. "That would be pretty funny." She noted.

"What would?" Flowey inquired.

"Seeing you in a little sweater." The girl suggested. "It could have little sleeves for your leaves."

"I don't really think I need a sweater," Flowey assured her.

"What do you think ?" They walked into the house. "I think he'd look kind of cute, like a puppy in one of those jackets."

"I'm not a puppy!" He exclaimed in worry. "I'm a Flower."

"That's what makes it funny." She noted to him.

Toriel didn't respond to the inquiry, rather, she watched. The duo headed towards the spare room, the bedroom. The woman carefully closed the door to the house, a certain shade overtaking her eyes. She fidgeted some...this was...real?


	18. Chapter 17 - Drawings

There was something easing about drawing, at least, to her. It prevented most other thoughts and seemed to drown out the rest of the world. She was still aware of Toriels occasional glances, as she read her book. She was acutely aware of the Flower, attempting to emulate her artistic abilities, at her side.

Unsurprisingly, Flowey seemed to be having a remarkable difficulty with it at first. Though, after some struggle, he managed to balance the colored pencil enough to get by. Chara, on the other hand, found it astoundingly simple and wasn't certain why it presented him so much trouble.

She hummed along to a song she'd forgotten, her mind projecting the image in her head onto the paper. From there, she just traced the lines and scratched in the loose spaces. Her hand moving furiously, her eyes unblinking.

After a short while, she felt a tap on her shoulder, blinking for the first time in quite a while. "Hey Chara, look!" Flowey said with a positive smile.

She examined his picture, it was crude and very poorly done, like a child had drawn it. I seemed to depict the two of them in a garden of Golden Flowers. Both of their blocky representations had large smiles, which she noticed the Flower had while holding it aloft for her to see. He was clearly proud of his work.

"That's neat." She replied plainly.

He frowned some. "I thought I did really well."

"I said it was cool Flowey." She reminded him with a chuckle.

"No, but, it's how you said it." He scanned over his picture. "I know, it's pretty bad."

Chara subconsciously nodded, before saying. "No, seriously, it's great. I mean, that's the garden I woke up in right?" She inquired.

At this point, Toriel rose from her seat. The duo watched her for a moment as she passed by them. Giving her ward a reassuring smile, she vanished down the hallway.

"Y-yeah." He replied. "It's a nice place."

"Do you go there often?" Chara inquired.

"Huh?" Flowey asked.

"The Garden, do you just like, hang out there?" She asked. "To talk to other Flowers, hang out, or that sort of thing?" She suggested with a shrug.

"What, no!" He exclaimed in surprise. "I can't speak to the other Flowers, they aren't ya know, alive."

"Well, technically they are." She noted to him with a smug grin.

"You know what I mean." He replied.

"I do, but it's not what you said!" She teased, prodding him with the pencil, before adding. "But no, it's a cool picture Flowey. Really-" She smirked. "Draws, you in."

The Flower shot her a look. "You said you wouldn't do that!"

"Do what?" She asked, still drawing.

"Make puns, you promised just one day without making a single pun." He noted.

"Yeah, but I didn't say that it would be today." She noted, laughing a little at his frustrated reaction. "It's just too easy." She remarked to herself.

The Flower groaned, setting his picture down. He reached out and grabbed another piece of paper, before pausing. He peered over, examining her picture with a confused look.

"What...uh...what are you drawing?" Flowey inquired.

"I dunno." She replied. "Just something I keep...seeing. Like an itching in my head, sort of."

She dragged the aqua blue across the paper with a few final strokes, before setting the pencil down. Picking it up, she held it so that the Flower could see it easier. It depicted what looked like blue spears flying downwards. Among this, there was the outline of someone standing in the background. They appeared to be wearing full armor, with a bright blue streak coming from their eye.

Flowey got a scared look and shook some. "T-that's...uhm-"

"Pretty cool right?" Chara asked, setting it down. "I think they look really awesome, like a true hero."

"More like a real villain." The Flower muttered in a very annoyed tone.

"Huh?" She asked.

"Err, uh, nothing. Hey, you said you keep seeing her, and the spears...how, do you, I dunno, know her?" The Flower asked.

"Why do you think it's a she?" Chara asked back, as Flowey shifted some.

A sound came to their attention, as Toriel stepped into the room. She was wearing a large black jacket of sorts over her usual robes. Chara moved in her spot.

"I'm going to be out for a short while," Toriel explained. "I need you to remain here until I return."

"Okay, where are you going?" Chara asked.

"I've already set out something to drink, alongside another piece of the pie." The woman deflected. "I trust-" She glanced at the flower. "You'll still be here when I return." Her words dripping with a threatening undertone.

"D-definitely," Flowey assured her. "Right Chara?"

"Can I go with you?" The girl asked, curiously.

"Not this time, my child. Please just, remain here for a time." Toriel requested, kneeling down for a moment. "I promise I'll be back soon." She said, hugging her.

After this, she rose and departed down the hallway once more. She wondered where her caretaker was headed. Moreover, she was curious where she'd go that she needed a jacket, the ruins were cold, but they weren't that cold.

"She'll be back soon," Flowey assured her. "So, hey-" He grabbed her attention. "I wanted to ask, is that picture someone you know?"

Chara noted his mannerisms and scanned the picture over again carefully. "I don't believe so. Why, do you know someone like this?"

"No." He replied quickly.

"Alright," Chara said with a look of doubt. "Well, yeah, so that's a thing...why did she need a jacket?" She asked.

"It's a bit chilly," Flowey noted.

"But I didn't hear the door," Chara muttered, still thinking. "Wanna go see what Mom's doing?"

"She asked us to stay here for awhile," The Flower reminded her. "I think we-"

"Yeah, that sounds pretty boring." She concluded. "Besides, we aren't going to wander off or anything. I mean, she can't have gone too far right?" She suggested while picking up the flowerpot. "The ruins aren't that big."

"Chara!" Flowey exclaimed as they darted from the room.


	19. Chapter 18 - Ruined Part 1

"Just wait for a second would ya!?" The Flower exclaimed in a huff, his petals extending out like tendrils.

"Whoa!" Chara exclaimed in surprise, the flower latching onto the sides of the door. "How did you do that?" She asked.

"Magic," Flowey responded dryly.

"Why haven't you done it before?" She asked.

"Because it really hurts." He explained. "Look, if you really want to run around the ruins...at least get a jacket or something."

"That's a good idea," Chara responded.

The Flower got a surprised look. "Oh, didn't think you'd agree so-"

"An added layer of defense against our enemies!" She exclaimed.

"I was thinking against the cold." The annoyed flower responded.

"No need to give me the cold shoulder." Chara chuckled. "Probably a jacket or something in my room."

She turned and began walking back towards her room, the flower releasing the doorframe. She watched curiously as the vines began to retract, prompting painful winces from the sunflower. Chara contemplated how much it hurt, but decided she didn't care.

Pushing open the door, she tossed the flower-pot. "H-HEY!" He exclaimed, thudding against the bed. "You threw me!"

"I see your keen sense of observation hasn't faded." She responded. "Truly it is the gift which continues to provide for us."

"Har, Har, Har." Flowey groaned.

"Let's see-" She grabbed the handles to her closet. "what's behind door number 1!"

She threw it open and found herself promptly coated in dust. Coughing loudly she bitterly cursed under her breath. Inside the closet was, well, much of nothing apart from a few striped shirts.

Chara couldn't help but feel confused, somehow recalling it being far fuller not so long ago. She wondered briefly if there had actually been anything else in it, or if she had simply imagined it. Regardless, it left her jacketless.

"Wow," Flowey said, echoing her thoughts. "That's a rather dismal assortment of clothes." His expression altered into a confused one. "Wait, wasn't that fuller...did we check that before?"

"I don't know. I don't think so." She replied. "But that would be like, a few chapters back and I don't feel like pulling my bookmark."

"What?" He asked.

"Dying and heading back to my SAVE," Chara explained. "I was comparing it to-"

"Right, right, a book. It's like a bookmark. I-" He began.

"Yeah, so that was a joke. Sort of." She thought aloud. "Maybe I'll pause on my grade A comedy for now." She suggested.

"Probably a smart bet so we can move the plot along." The Flower replied.

"Oh, because I said it was like a book." She smiled.

"Bingo." He replied.

The pair were quiet for some time, scanning over the nearly empty closet. She let out a huff, shrugging at the contents. With that, she closed the closet once more.

"So, now that the awkward silence is over...think mom has a jacket in her room?" Chara asked.

"I think that is a terrible idea, and we should in no way pursue it," Flowey stated.

"I see your mouth moving, but all I'm hearing is-" She picked up the flower. "I think the idea, we should pursue it."

"Chara no." The Flower commanded. "That's not even remotely what I said."

"Not listening, and I don't care." The child declared, opening her door. "Onward, my flower-powered compatriot."

With this, she jogged out of the room, the reluctant flower held closely to her chest.


End file.
